HAYLEY DAVIS SHOOTS RECORD 64 TO TAKE GIRLS' ABU DHABI LEAD

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By Rod Gilmour in Abu Dhabi
Hayley Davis produced one of the finest rounds in the history of the Junior Golf Championship after an effortless 64 left her within touching distance of back-to-back titles ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Following her opening round 74, the current English girls’ champion, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency in her England international uniform, turned the tables with a wonderful display of attacking golf to record a women's course record. Moreover, Davis, who attends Baylor University in Texas, opened up a four-shot gap at the top of the girls’ leaderboard after carding nine birdies and one bogey.
The boys’ event is a far tighter affair and set for a head-to-head tussle between Jimmy Mullen, at five under par, and Scoland's UAE-based Daniel Hendry, two shorts adrift.
The day, though, belonged to Davis. The 18-year-old from Dorset went out in 33 while her bludgeoning of the Abu Dhabi National started at the eighth, mustering six birdies in seven holes during a memorable purple patch before returning in 31.
It evoked memories of Tom Lewis’s round of the same score in 2009 which left him seven shots clear of the field. Lewis, a revelation at this year’s Open at Royal St George’s, finished second that year as Chris Lloyd managed to claw back the deficit through two rounds.
Davis’s nearest challengers are the impressive youngest ever British women's champion, Lauren Taylor from Rugby and professional's daughter Amy Boulden from Llandudno, North Wales whose 74 was a far cry from her opening 69 in the 54-hole stroke-play event.
“I hit the ball really good and putted nicely too,” said Davis, who plays at Ferndown in Dorset, the home club of Peter Allis. Regardless to say, the BBC commentator will no doubt be keeping one eye on events today.
She added: “I’ve had a few 66s before but never shot lower than that so I’m really happy, especially as I only birdied one of the par fives out there.”
She made up for her long-hole disappointments with a sizzling array of precision golf elsewhere. Her highlights included a 40-footer on the 13th and an up-and-down save for par on 17.
Davis found herself with breathing space when Boulden fluffed her approach chip into the bunker at the last. She left her next short on the green and finished with a bogey and a disappointing 76. Taylor carded a 71 for the second day running to lie second.
Davis admitted that the leading group’s form “kept all of us going”.
“There are low scores to be had out there and it is still all to play for,” she said. “I was five shots off the pace at the start so anything can happen.”
The calibre of the girls’ play was highlighted at the par three 12th when the leading six all birdied in succession.
Meanwhile Mullen, fast becoming one of the "finds" of the Championship, leads the 12-boy field by two shots from Scots-born Hendry. Both have played consistently over 36 holes and if yesterday was anything to go by, it will be the putter that wins the day for one of them.
“I played pretty similar to my opening round,” said the Devon junior, who recorded a two under par 70. “I kept missing short putts and must have shaded three inside five feet today. Dan was doing the same and one of us could easily have been four shots clear.”
Oliver Carr did well to remain in the hunt. The Wirral junior was five over par for four holes but clicked when it mattered and gleaned four birdies in his last 12 to bridge the gap to within four strokes of Mullen.
Meanwhile, Luke Fitzpatrick had a day to forget. The Stoke Park golfer scored -six-under-par  to qualify to get here but was left visibly frustrated at the way he fell to +17 on the course.
GIRLS' SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
138 Hayley Davis (Ferndown and Baylor Univ, Texas) 74 64
142 Lauren Davis (Woburn) 71 71.
143 Amy Boulden (Llandudno Maesdu) 69 74.
145 Samantha Giles (St Mellion) 75 70.
148 Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 77 71.
149 Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 76 73.
151 Rachel Walker (Dumfries and County) 76 75, Elizabeth Stebbings (Wilpshire)
75 76.
165 Lesley Atkins (Gullane Ladies) 78 87.

BOYS' SCOREBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
139 Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) 69 70.
141 Daniel (Scotland/United Arab Emirates) 70 71.
143 Oliver Carr (Heswall) 71 72.
146 Paul Kinnear (Sefton) 74 72.
148 Harrison Greenberry (Exeter) 74 74.
149 James Newton (Cheshire) 77 72.
151 Jack Singh Brar (Bramshaw) 77 74.
152 Alex Gleeson (Castle, Co Sligo) 76 76.
153 Ben Anderson (Belton Park) 78 75.
157 William Pennington (Heswall) 80 77.
166 Luke Fitzpatrick (Mill Green) 77 89.
167 Oliver Walsh (Thurlestone) 85 82.